Luis Loya grew up on cattle ranch in Chihuahua Mexico. His rebellious nature, and gift for drawing transformed into an insatiable need to explore later in life. He is the purveyor of some of the finest distillates in the world, and more specifically Mexico, with his brand La Mata Spirits. With beautiful spirits from Durango, Oaxaca, Nuevo León, and more, Luis illuminates the undiscovered processes found in more distant areas of Mexico. The rare and coveted bottles contain some the most unique and compelling spirits found anywhere in the world. We talk about architecture, skateboarding, passion, and more.
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Ep 357 – Gustavo Ortega-Oyarzun: The Shape of Drinks to Come
Gustavo Oyarzun is an immensely thoughtful person. From creating culinary/cocktail salts (via Art of Drink) to imagining entirely new bar experiences, he uses a deeply pensive and aesthetic driven perspective to innovate in the cocktail industry. As we all sought connectivity during COVID quarantine, Gustavo chose to take his bartending skills to the people in a fun and mobile way. The traveling cocktail concept turned into Visitant Social Club and this move to Austin unleashed yet another innovative concept that has just taken the city by storm, Traveler’s Lounge. We chat corn, mezcal, instinct, and architecture.
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Ep 356 – Nino Gandulla: The Eye of the Tiger
Ninotchka Gandula, or as she’s fondly known, Nino, is the national brand ambassador for Ojo de Tiger. The beautiful mezcal that mixes production from both Oaxaca and Puebla is yet another creation from the innovative team at Casa Lumbre. Nino grew up in Puerto Rico and remains one of the most respected voices in hospitality as she carries her Boricua love of others. She continues to earn and evolve as a leader and brand ambassador. As the rise of N/A spirits continues, Almave, the blue agave alternative, will bring new conversations and opportunities as Nino’s role expands. We talk about travel, boundaries, and calling it an early night.
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Ep 355 – Victor Diaz: The Story of Carabuena Tequila
As a native of Guadalajara, Victor Diaz has been surrounded by Tequila his own life. He has followed business ideas, and his innate tenacity gives him a drive like no other. After a fateful move to Austin Tx, he entered the hospitality industry at the legendary Maudie’s TexMex restaurant. Here, whilst building relationships with patrons and fellow hospitality workers alike, the concept of Carabuena Tequila was born. Now, time has passed and the brand is growing at a meteoric pace. It sounds like the perfect time to release a Reposado and Añejo. We chat love, creativity, persistence, and more.
